Windmill.



No. 762,315. PATENTBD JUNE 14, 1904.

J. L. JOYCE.

WINDMILL. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 10, 1902.

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PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH JOYCE, OF EGREMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF TOALLEN IVICLANE HAMILTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,315, dated June 14,1904.

Application filed March 10, 1902. Serial No. 97,443. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. J OYOE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Egremont, in the county of Berkshire and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Vindmills, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to windmills, and has for its object theproduction of a windmill of novel form wherein the wind passing throughthe wheel is used to the best advantage and wherein no directing vane ortail is necessary to hold the wheel to the wind.

In accordance with my invention I provide a suitable directing memberhaving a body which tapers from its base to its point to form asubstantially conical or pyramidical shape, which body is mounted forturning movement about a vertical axis. The windwheel is preferablysupported by the said directing member and is mounted to rotate about ahorizontal, axis as usual, said wheel being situated at the. base of theconicalshaped directing member and having its sails situated outside ofthe base. The apex of the directing member points toward the wind, andthe directing member has two functionsfirst, to hold the Wind-wheel tothe wind, and, second, to divert the wind, which would natually passthrough the center of the wind-wheel and which would furnishcomparatively little power because of the short lever-arm through whichit would work, to the sails which are situated some distance from theaxis of the wheel and which therefore work through a comparatively longlever-arm. The directing member is preferably made hollow and incloseswithin itself the mechanism connecting the wind-wheel with thepower-shaft, thus protecting the same.

I have also devised a special form of sail for my windmill which hasmany advantages.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my improvedwindmill. Fig. 2 is rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail showingtwo positions of one of the sails. Fig. 4 is a section on the line was,Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is a modified form of my invention.

One of the novel features of the present invention consists insupporting the windwheel in bearings carried by a directing member whichis mounted upon a tower for movement about a vertical axis and whichtakes the place of the ordinary tail orvane and serves to hold thewind-wheel to the wind. The directing member which I have herein chosento show is hollow and comprises a substantially cone-shaped shell 15 andthe strengthening or stiffening spider or strut member 20, which issituated at the base of the shell and serves to preserve its shape. Thedirecting member may be mounted on the tower for movement about avertical axis in any suitable way, and, as herein shown, I have providedasupporting-spider 22, which is attached to the lower end of the shelland which has a hub 23, encircling a stand 16, rigid with the tower 3,the said hub resting and turning upon a collar 24. The aboveconstruction, however, is only one out of many ways in which thedirecting member could be mounted upon the tower for turning movement,and I do not wish to be limited to any particular way of accomplishingthis. The Wind-wheel is carried upon a suitable shaft 4, which in turnis mounted upon bearings supported by the directing member, thesaidshaft having a bevelgear 5 thereon, which meshes with a bevel-gear 6on the power-shaft 7. The latter shaft is supported in any suitablebearings in the tower and is illustrated as passing through the .stand16. The upper end of the power-shaft is supported in a bearing 18,carried by arms 19, extending from the strut 20, the lower end of thebearing being illustrated as setting in and turning in a socket in theupper end of the stand 16. The bearings for the shaft 4 may be supportedby the directing member in any suitable way, and, as herein illustrated,the shaft extends the full length of the directing member and has oneend journaled in a bearing or block 26 at the apex of the directingmember, while the other .endpasses through and is journaled in thespider 20 of said directing member.

The wind-wheel comprises a central head 8, preferably having aspider-like construction, though my invention would not be departed fromif this head were in the form of a disk. Secured to the head 8 andextending beyond the periphery thereof are the sails 9, which arepreferably pivoted to the head and are substantially U shape incross-section, each sail thus having two blades 10. Each sail is shownas supported by a suitable shaft 11, which in turn is carried bybearings 12 upon the head 8, said shaft forming an axis about which thesails may be turned to bring them more or less into the wind. The lowerend of each shaft 11 is offset or cranked, as at 13, and the crankportion rests against a suitable controller 14, slidably mounted uponthe shaft 4. The controller is illustrated as having a tapered body andwill preferably be substantially cone shape. By moving the controllerback and forth upon the shaft the inclination of the sails to the windmay be varied, as will be obvious. While I have herein shown a conicalcontroller, yet my invention would not be departed from if a controllcrof any other form were used, it only being necessary that the controllershould have such a shape and such connection with the offset portions ofthe shaft as to control the position of the sails through the shaft.

From the above description it will be seen that the directing member issupported by the tower, and the wind-wheel in turn is supported by thedirecting member. The directing member has a long and comparativelyslender body, as will be seen, and by placing the vertical axis thereofin the position shown and the wind-wheel at the base of said member thedirecting member serves to hold the wind-wheel to the wind and performsthe function of the usual vane or tail. In addition to this function thedirecting member serves as a housing for the gearing and shaft and alsoas a means for diverting the wind, which would naturally pass throughthe center of the wheel and which would perform no work to the sailswhere it can be most economically used. The body of the directing membermay either be conical shape or pyramidical shape, it only beingnecessary that it have a tapering body. In the drawings I haveillustrated the said directing member as having its surface fluted orscalloped, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and as provided with thestiffening members 28, which serve to give proper shape to the shell,which may be of metal or any other suitable material. The fluted orscalloped surface 15 of the member forms ridges 29, which assistsomewhat in holding the said member steadily to the wind. In order thatthe wind which is diverted or deflected by the directing member may allpass through the sails instead of between the sails and the surface ofthe cone member, I will preferably employ a deflecting-flange30, whichencircles the directing member and directs the wind directly to thesails.

The controller 14 may be operated in any suitable way, and I have hereinillustrated the same as having connected thereto the rack 31, whichpasses through the member 20 and is supported by a suitable bearing 32,through which also the shaft 4 passes, the said rack meshing with apinion 33, carried by the member 20. The pinion 33 will be operated bymeans of a cord or other connection 34, which is connected to a cranksecured to the pinion, the said cord or connection being led to anyconvenient place within reach of the operator. When the said cord ispulled upon, the pinion will be rotated and through the rack will movethe controller to the right, thereby turning the shafts 11 and swingingthe sails 9 in an inclined position with reference to the direction ofthe wind, the extent of the inclination of the sails being under thecontrol of the operator. After the sails have been properly set the cord34 will be suitably secured, and the force of the wind against the sailswill operate to hold the cranked portions of the shaft 11 hard againstthe controller 7. hen it is desired to throw the wind-wheel out ofoperation, the cord 34 is merely released, when the force of the windagainst the sails will throw them around into a position parallel withthe direction of the wind, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3. Thefull-line position of the sails in Fig. 3 shows approximately theworking position thereof, and it will be seen that the front and rearends are cut so as to stand parallel with the base when the sails are inthis position.

In Fig. 51 have illustrated a slightly-modilied form of my inventionwherein the directing member rotates with the sails. In this embodimentof my invention the directing member is designated by 15, and the sailsare in the nature of spiral blades 9, which are fast to the surface ofthe cone. The cone has rigid therewith a bevel-gear 5, which meshes witha bevel-gear 4 upon the power-shaft 7 The shaft which supports thewind-wheel will be supported in some suitable way. (Not shown.)

From the above it will be observed that my invention consists, broadly,in providing a cone-shaped directing member which is supported by atower in such a way as to have a movement about a vertical axis andwhich in turn furnishes the sole support for the windwheel.

While I have described one specific embodiment of my invention, I do notwish to be limited to the precise construction herein shown, as variouschanges may be made in the shape and arrangement of the parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention as expressed in the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a windmill, a tower, a non-removable directing member mounted onthe tower to turn about a vertical axis, and a wind-wheel supported bysaid directing member, the latter having a hollow conical body providedwith a continuous exterior surface every portion of which is exposed tothe wind.

2. In a windmill, a directing member having a hollow tapering body, awind-wheel supported in bearings rigidly carried by said directingmember, and gearing inclosed in the directing member for transmittingthe rotat-' ing movement of said wheel to the powershaft, the shell ofthe said body having a constantly-open manhole to provide access to thegearing.

3. In awindmill, a tower, a directing member supported thereon formovement about a vertical axis, said directing member having a hollowcone-shaped shell and a stiffening member irremovably secured thereto atits base, a horizontal shaft in the interior of said cone-shaped shelland supported in bearings rigid with said member,-a wind-wheel on saidshaft, a power-shaft, and gearing inclosed in said shell and connectingsaid shafts.

4:. In a windmill, a tower, a hollow coneshaped directing member mountedfor movement about a vertical axis, bearings carried by said directingmember on the interior thereof, a horizontal shaft journaled in saidbearings, a wind-wheel on the said shaft at the base of the cone, thesails of the windwheel being outside of the conical surface, apower-shaft extending into the cone,and gears inclosed therein andconnecting said shafts.

5. In a windmill, a directing member mounted for turning movement abouta vertical axis, said member having a hollow tapering body and astiffening-spider at its base to which it is rigidly and irremovablyconnected, and a wind-wheel supported by said directing member.

6. A wind-wheel having sails pivoted to its periphery, said sails beingsubstantially U shape in cross-section, and arranged with the sideportion thereof extending in a substantially radial direction.

7. A wind-wheel having a central head portion and a plurality of sailspivoted to the periphery thereof, each sail presenting a plurality ofradially-arranged blades extending in the general direction of the axisof rotation of the wheel, the pivotal point of each of said sails beingto the windward of their central position.

8. A wind-wheel having a central head portion, a plurality of sails eachpresenting two parallel substantially radially-arranged blades extendingin the general direction of the axis of rotation of the wheel, and meansto pivot the sails to thehead portion, the pivotal point of each sailbeing situated to the windward of its central position.

9. In a windmill, a cone-shaped directing member mounted for movementabout a vertical axis, a wind-wheel supported by said directing member,said wheel comprisinga central head portion of substantially the samesize as the base of the directing member and situated at said base, anda plurality of sails pivoted to said head portion, each of said sailspresenting a radially-arranged blade having its pivotal point to thewindward of its central position.

10. Ina windmill, a hollow cone-shaped directing member mounted formovement about avertical axis, a spider in the base of the directingmember, a shaft journaled in said spider, and a wind-wheel mounted onsaid shaft, said wheel comprising a central head portion situated at thebase of the directing member, and having sails pivoted to its pe'riphery.

11. In a windmill, a horizontally-arranged substantially cone-shapeddirecting member mounted to turn aboutavertical axis, a windwheelsupported by said directing member at the base thereof, said wind-wheelhaving sails situated outside of the conical surface, and adeflecting-flange on said directing member, said flange operating toprevent the wind from passing between the sails and the directingmember.

12. In a windmill, a substantially coneshaped directing member, havingits surface fluted or scalloped, and a wind-wheel supported thereby.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH L. JOYCE.

Witnesses:

GEO. WV. GREGORY, EDITH M. STODDARD.

